Found small tag in my powder throw !

[Luke Duke]

After reading the thread " Don't use others reloads" I need to put this out there. Loading .38's with TiteGroup out of a 4lb keg. My powder level in the cases were all looking different? After loading 70 Started weighing and seen descrempaciy of a grain or 2 ! After dumping powder in a Tupperware I looked in my throw and found a tiny piece of tag that was stuck in my throw. It was in the keg from factory. Had I proceeded and not payed attention there could have been a sguib to a kaboom. Some dumped heavy some dumped light.
At what point did it start ???? Pulling all of them.To many variables to shoot safely and trust others loads. I've been doing this a long time. A nubie would not have seen this small variation in .38 with this powder. Thank God I caught it after inspection with a flash light and my readers!!

 

[robertrwalsh]

I once found a small piece of heavy paper, from the looks of it it was from the cannister construction, in a cannister of powder. It stopped up my powder measure without being obvious about it. Fortunately I LOOK into the cases in the loading block after dropping the powder and it was obvious. You think gravity is reliable, and mostly it is, but excrement occurs.

 

[kev74]

I found a wound up ball of spider web in the powder throw once when investigating light charges. I'm guessing I weighed a charge that was in a case and dumped it back in the hopper, and the case had a little spider nest in it that made it through the tumbler.

 

[stansdds]

This speaks to the attention required during the process of reloading ammo in order to be assured that your ammo is safe. I check my powder measure before using it, watch the powder as I pour it into the hopper, watch the powder drop through the clear plastic drop tube, visually see the powder in the case before placing the bullet for seating. So far, over 3 decades of safe and reliable ammo out of my press.

 

[Nick B]

My friend has a sealed glass bottle of Coca Cola with a chicken bone in it .
Yeah I know, not related to the OP's topic.

 

[GypsmJim]

My friend has a sealed glass bottle of Coca Cola with a chicken bone in it .
Yeah I know, not related to the OP's topic.

Back in the 1960's my Dad got a tallneck with a cigar butt in the bottle. And it happened several times.

But to the OP, THIS is why I use a single stage press. In fact I have several in a row. The second last step is flaring and powder charge. I weigh every 10th round, but visually inspect every one. My eye can't detect a few tenths of a grain difference, but IF there is a variation it won't be a squib or a kaboom. If the weighings show a problem, I would go to weighing EVERY round until I figured out what was wrong.

Been loading for over 50 years, tens of thousands loaded, and 1 single squib. I knew when it happened. I attributed that one to being in a hurry and talking to a friend sitting in my work room. A problem easy to solve in the future.

 

[Luke Duke]

Back in the 1960's my Dad got a tallneck with a cigar butt in the bottle. And it happened several times.

But to the OP, THIS is why I use a single stage press. In fact I have several in a row. The second last step is flaring and powder charge. I weigh every 10th round, but visually inspect every one. My eye can't detect a few tenths of a grain difference, but IF there is a variation it won't be a squib or a kaboom. If the weighings show a problem, I would go to weighing EVERY round until I figured out what was wrong.

Been loading for over 50 years, tens of thousands loaded, and 1 single squib. I knew when it happened. I attributed that one to being in a hurry and talking to a friend sitting in my work room. A problem easy to solve in the future.

And, with powders like TiteGroup, Bullseye burn rate you have to be extra careful. I've never had a "kaboom"!! But, this last go with the tag was a close call. A grain or two could spell disaster.
Years ago my neighbor kaboom'ed a .45 Colt Blackhawk with a double charge of Bullseye. Scary.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Glad that you caught that, little problem, with the powder thrower.

Nice to see that you have a 8 lb. canister but

I use a 1 lb. container to fill my powder tubes with, just in case I
make a mistake, or something !!

Filling the smaller unit with a funnel, also serves as a "check" on any
foreign objects , from the bigger bottle, for me.

No cob webs yet, interesting idea, though.

 

[pantannojack]

I weigh every charge accepting 231 in 38 and 45. Then I visually check every powdered case by eyeball and flash light. I have time to do it right.

I once knew a Michigander who said he worked on an auto assembly line. They would throw their beer cans into the door panels when empty.

 

[SMSgt]

Did the tag say, "Kilroy was here"?

 

[mikld]

Yep, stuff happens. I'm fortunate that I have found just one foreign item in my powder, a dead fly. I now have a hard and fast habit of looking into every charged case before bullet seating. With a flashlight while cases sit in a reloading block or when I pick one up (I use a Co-Ax so I handle every case before bullet seating). Reason?. in 1970 I had a squib, a "no powder" squib. I was 1 hour drive away from home and didn't have a range rod so I had to leave after only firing only 9 rounds, my day was ruined.

 

[BE Mike]

That's an advantage to progressive presses with that fifth hole! My Dillon 650 has a "powder check die" that buzzes if the powder charge is too high or too low.

 

[ACORN]

Years ago my buddy and I were loading shotgun shells on his Mec.
We had a run of squibs. Went and checked and somehow a cleaning patch got down into the powder hole in the charge bar

 

[Miracle Man]

I have an old RCBS 4x4 press with 4 stations but it doesn't auto index. With out boring you with all the details when I get a round to the bullet seating station, I pull it and visually check every powder load, always. And I'll weigh every 3rd or 4th one while loading.

I'm not in a big hurry when reloading. I keep checking everything all the time.

Glad you caught it OP.

 

[Luke Duke]

I have an old RCBS 4x4 press with 4 stations but it doesn't auto index. With out boring you with all the details when I get a round to the bullet seating station, I pull it and visually check every powder load, always. And I'll weigh every 3rd or 4th one while loading.

I'm not in a big hurry when reloading. I keep checking everything all the time.

Glad you caught it OP.

Me too! After seeing my neighbors .45 Colt Blackhawk after he double charged it. Jeez that that gun came apart. He was a nubie too. I'm 54 this year and I've been reloading since I was 16. I read and studied and read more. My Dad bought our first reloading kit, because he wasn't making money on ammo in his store! Have never blew up anything. Had one squib. Never let you're mind wonder when loading.

 

[Willyboy]

Powder measure

I got an older set of RCBS reloading equipment from a friend of mine. At first use the throws were inconsistent. There was a dead earwig in the cylinder.
Willyboy

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

I've gotten into the habit of visually inspecting the amount of powder in the pistol case. Afraid I'm lazy and seldom weigh my standard load powder throws. I use dedicated measures for my 45acp- 45colt/ 44-40 and 30 cal rifle loading. Also my reloading room is in the house so I don't have dead bugs or humidity causing clumps to deal with. I'll load up a few and try them off the deck out back and then load as many as I need. It's very handy to be able to shoot in your back yard. Of course only if there are no tractors in the fields.

 

[Luke Duke]

I got an older set of RCBS reloading equipment from a friend of mine. At first use the throws were inconsistent. There was a dead earwig in the cylinder.
Willyboy

Hate those bugz ! Ugh get into everything!